My Overall Impression (Score of 85.5 %)

I knew it was coming but I thought it would not happen.  It snowed on Halloween.  Not just a few flurries but some wet snow that accumulated.  This morning was beautiful looking out over the yard.  And then I realized that while it was worth giving out candy standing in sub  temps and watching the sunrise this morning that a big brew was in order.

Vietnam OP from House of Tea is a big one.  When I first brewed it, it showed an incredible orange hued depth to it.  Just plain richness in the glass.  Even though it was a bit faint, the rich dark malt aromas were refreshing.  Taking the first sip was pleasure.  Deep malt with orange tones and citrus notes and an easy to drink brew.  This is a great tea that I will be sure to have a cup every few days to warm me up. 

I will say that this tea is even better with foods.  The pairings allow the tea to shine so I would contemplate always drinking this one with something.

The price as of 10/31/23 is $19.95 for 100 gm Canadian.

Broken down:

• 100gm / 3 gm for steeping = 33 cups
• 33 cups from package = $0.60 per cup app Canadian

Typically, I double steep all my teas (use the tea twice) so I can get 80 cups or approximately 31 cents per cup Canadian.  This is an incredible value for this quality of tea and its richness

Aromas

• In the bag, it shows a deep toasted malt with orange aromas (like dried rind)along with citrus floral notes.
• There are very faint notes of toasted nuts and cocoa.
• Once brewed, that toasted malt note grows immensely which is very rich and inviting.
• It does show some earthy notes with hints of fresh cut wood along with toasted walnuts.

Flavors

• This is a big malt driven brew that shows hints of orange. I loved its toast notes with a touch of unsweetened dark chocolate.
• This is bone dry with great acid to cleanse the palate. While it’s dry, the tannins support the structure so it’s not astringent in nature.
• The toasted malt shows over the entire profile.
• This is close to being full body. It did not have the drying effect that I’m used to with a full-bodied tea so it’s right on the edge.  Again, the tannins are beautiful as they are not overpowering but blended into the structure well.

Scores

• Aromas (4.3/5)
• Flavors (8.3/10)
• Overall impression (4.5/5)
  • Total score = 85.5 percent (17.1/20)

Foods to Pair and Why

• Since it’s now closer to Christmas, I pull out all of the Holiday cookie recipes that I love to make. One of them is dipped shortbread cookies and I like to dip these in melted dark chocolate.  The richness of the chocolate will match perfectly with this brew.
• Any beef stew or braised beef ragu. Why?  This tea needs something strong to stand up to and braised beef is amazing (in any format) this time of year.  Ty to the Texas Beef Council for teaching me about beef over the years.
• Heavy cheeses such as clothbound cheddar or Red Rock (one of my absolute favorites) which I was able to try last week. Trust me, I got my fill, and this brew would stand up to it perfectly.
• Ok, when I am winding down at the end of the night, I normally nibble on something with chocolate. If you have never tried OMG’s from Canada, you are truly missing out.  I’m now able to find them at Costco.  YES, YES, YES is all I have to say.  The next time I brew a cup of this, I’m going to pair it with the new Reese’ chocolate Animal Crackers.
• This one may be a stretch but a good old-style fish and chips recipe (Like full on British) with this tea would work. No ketchup….just a dash of malt vinegar.
• For my last suggestion, I thought of a time in SC when I had 5 lb. of leftover mussels and prepared them similar to a Cioppino. I’m thinking this rich soup with a touch of sausage in it would be amazing with this.  I’m not sure why but I know it will work.  Now I have to find some fresh seafood.